She also seemed familiar.
Then the rift was gone.
“You sensed her?” the voice asked.
“Yes.”
“I saw that you’re familiar with her.”
“Perhaps.” Warren wasn’t convinced of that. He was surprised at how much itbothered him to think that Merihim was depending on someone else. The sane thing would have been to be happy. If there was someone else, maybe he could escape the demon’s wrath.
Or maybe he already has your replacement.
Warren started to turn and go.
“Wait,” the voice entreated. “There’s something that Merihim didn’t notice.”
“What?”
“Look to Knaarl’s sword. There in the hilt.”
Warren walked to the sword and picked it up. The weapon was far too large to be used by himor anyone human. He examined the hilt, which was encrusted withgems that would have probably been a king’s ransom if the world had still beenas it was before the Hellgate opened. Now cans of food and bottles of water were far more precious than diamonds or rubies.
Gold wire wrapped the hilt and almost disguised the secret hiding place built into the sword. Warren’s clever fingers found it after a brief search. While infoster care he’d learned to search out all kinds of secrets and hiding places for moneyand other things he’d needed.
The compartment was locked by a three-ring mechanism that had to be lined up. Warren twisted the rings and heard the snik of the lock opening. When he slid the compartment back, he saw the three teeth inside. They were large and triangular, looking sharp, flat, and dull green. With effort, he got the sword over his shoulder and poured the teeth out into his palm.
“Knaarl found them,” the voice whispered in disbelief.
“These are the dragon’s teeth?”
“Yes.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I’ve heard them described. And because, through you, I canfeel the arcane energy within them.”
Warren knew that the seeds possessed power. He felt it in them. “Where didthe dragons come from?”
“They belonged to another demon that has lived here for thousands of years.She’s called Lilith.”
“Adam’s first wife,” Warren whispered, remembering the old stories he’d readin the occult books his mother had studied. “She was supposed to be the motherof vampires, demons, and wicked things.”
“She’s all that,” the voice said. “And more.”
FORTY-TWO
“Where did you find the manuscript?” Lyra Darius asked.
“At Akehurst Sanitarium.” Leah didn’t bother to withhold the information.There was nothing to be gained. Command now had the manuscript, and it couldn’tbe used without their assistance. There was also the possibility that the manuscript was burned beyond recognition and couldn’t be recovered at all.
“How did you know it was there?”
“Macomber told Simon Cross.”
“Yet Macomber never mentioned that to us.”
“He felt the information was better off in Templar hands.”
“What do you think?”
“It doesn’t matter, does it?” Leah asked. “Command has the manuscript now,and it’s burned almost to ash.”
“Tech Ops believes they can recover the pages.”
Elation soared within Leah but she kept her face a blank. She also monitored her heartbeat and respiration because she figured the room was totally wired for bio readings.
“Do you know what the manuscript’s about?” Lyra asked.
“It was supposed to be written by King Solomon and detail the seventy-twodemons he called forth and locked in a jar. The title’s misleading, though, because it could be read as theinvocation of angels or the evocation of demons.”
“According to the legend, Solomon bound the demons but never got around tocalling on the angels. The Cabalists would have a field day with this because they believe the demons can be mastered and used to benefit mankind.”
“Not any of them I’ve seen,” Leah said.
“I would agree,” Lyra said. “Except that I saw firsthand what Keira Skylerwas able to do with the powers she learned from her studies of the demons.” Sheshook her head. “I can’t even begin to imagine what that woman would have knownby this time if she had lived.”
“The Cabalists are opening doors they can’t close. During my trips throughLondon, I’ve seen several of them driven mad by forces they tried to use. Orphysically crippled.”
“But there are some who have become quite powerful.”
“For now,” Leah agreed. Despite the successes she’d seen, she didn’t trustthe power of the demons. The black man wearing the demon’s hand was the perfectcase in point.
“Why did you bring the manuscript here?” Lyra asked.
“Because I thought Tech Ops might be able to ferret out the informationcontained on those pages. I’ve seen them work their own particular brand ofmagic.”
Lyra smiled a little at the pun. “You knew you were listed as a potentialthreat.”
“Of course.”
“Why didn’t you check in when you were supposed to?”
“The Templar held me captive.”
“How did you fall into Templar hands?”
“Simon Cross saved my life a few days ago.”
“According to the reports I read, you were only in danger because you went towarn him about a demon trap involving Templar used as bait.”
“That’s true.” Leah was determined not to lie if she could help it.
“You’ve fraternized with the Templar even though you were given strict ordersnot to.”
“Yes.”
Lyra shrugged. “Would you care to elaborate?”
“For the record?” Leah smiled, but there was no mirth in her expression.
“Definitely for the record.”
Leah took a breath and knew that she was about to make or break her career. “Because I believe the Templar are an important factor in how we handle the restof this engagement.”
“ ‘Engagement?’ ”
“You have another word?”
“Our very survival is on the line. I think ‘engagement’ is bloody well takingthings too lightly.” There was no animosity in Lyra’s words.
“I’m not taking things lightly,” Leah agreed. “That’s why I’ve gone beyondthe scope of mission parameters the way I have with the Templar.”
Lyra arched a brow. “But it isn’t just the Templar, is it? You’ve beenconcentrating on Simon Cross.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because he and his people seem to honestly care if this world continues.”Leah paused. “He still believes he can beat the demons. That’s more than Commandthinks these days.”
Lyra pursed her lips in annoyance at that. Leah could immediately tell she’dtransgressed some kind of boundary.
You should have stayed with commentary on the Templar, she chided herself. That was evidently the safe area.
But she’d wanted
